Half Day Launch Conference

We are back from Dallas. I am still processing all that I heard. It was a great half day and worth the sleep deprivation and hurried/harried travel. I enjoyed getting to hear and meet Nelson and Kerrick. They are really sharp guys! They also seem to do "team" better than most, which encourages me and gives me hope. It was fun watching them interact and present "together." Lakepointe Church and Steve Stroope were very gracious hosts. They are doing a lot of things right, and Steve is a strong, Godly leader that does not get enough press...

Here are some "take-away" thoughts:

1. Focus on the unchurched. It seems obvious, but I am learning that "we who are churched and saved" have a hard time forgetting that it's not about us! I enjoyed the reminder about going from Crowd to Core...and what that really means. For me personally, it means that I need to get busy meeting, inviting, and getting to know unchurched people. "I came to seek and save those who were lost...I did not come for the well, but the sick!" - Jesus


2. We need to start in May. To "launch" in September, we need to start our first monthly service in May. How cool is that!! ...and how scary too. We had been looking at June, but May is now the goal.


3. God's dream for my church is bigger than my dream for my church. At one point, Searcy bashed the concept of "re-planting." (it stung a bit!) He was replying to a question of "should we take a church building? ...if a dying church gives it to you, or wants to merge, should you?" At first glance, that sounds kinda like us - but it's not... He was saying that in most communities the church is dying for a reason, so a new church, in essence, ties a huge anchor around herself by combining with the old. But that's not our situation...
   
   • We are going to do "new church" even though we are meeting in the old. There will be a distinct, separate, unique identity.
   • We are not trying to reach the same people that Crestview has... We are going to try to reach the new, younger, urban folks that now live in over half the homes.
   • This is God's dream. I think He knows what he's doing.


4. Launch date, September 9th, 2007
   • Four monthly services beginning in May
   • 3-4 comeback events to build momentum and build a launch team


5. I was challenged to develop an alliance of partners. Who could partner with me to launch this church? State level, Association level, ...and what about individual churches. It's time to put the vision on paper and start getting partners.